London’s Tube just had its busiest Premier League Sunday in years – but the real crush hasn’t even started
Key Points
- TfL is preparing for a chaotically busy summer on the back of the Premier League final.
- With the FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the company has said it expects very high demand on evening services.
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan has allowed pubs to stay open later and invested in al fresco dining, meaning people will be travelling in more numbers and at later times on the Tube and buses.
Transport for London (TfL) is preparing for a chaotically busy summer on the back of the busiest Premier League final day in years.
With the World Cup on, major concerts scheduled, massive outdoor events on the calendar, and the extension of pub opening hours to support London’s nightlife economy, the next few months will see some of the busiest evenings of the year on the capital’s transport network.
TfL said that London expects to record around 5.8 million Tube and bus journeys on Sunday 24 May, which will make it one of the busiest Premier League final days recorded in recent years.
This was preceded by another unusually busy weekend of trips for the London Marathon, which also saw millions of journeys on the network.
Arsenal’s victory parade, celebrating their victory in the Premier League final, is slated for Sunday (31 May), and early June will see the start of the FIFA World Cup.
TfL expects that the surging summer demand for Tube and bus transport will not abate any time season, especially for night-life travel as revelers journey to and from screenings and pubs, which will be open later than normal this summer.
During the FIFA World Cup, TfL will set up displays providing travel advice at match screenings, as providing information in more languages for travellers on the Elizabeth line heading to or from Heathrow.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has invested once again into al fresco dining and late-night hospitality this summer, ensuring that pubs have the ability to stay open until later and serve drinks in pedestrianised outdoor areas.
Khan also recently introduced the Weekend Hopper fare, which allows people to travel across London on buses and trams for the whole day on Saturday or Sunday for the price of a single fare.
“The Mayor and I are proud of our world-class public transport system, which provides great sustainable travel options to help millions of Londoners and visitors make the most of everything our incredible city has to offer, as we continue to build a better London for everyone,” said London Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance.
